Micromobility

Micromobility devices facilitate personal transportation and include, but are not limited to, bicycles, electric bicycles, electric kick scooters, electric skateboards, electric unicycles, hoverboards, shared bicycle fleets, adaptive cycles, electric wheelchairs and mobility assistance devices, etc. 


Some examples of Micromobility devices. This is not an exhaustive list of all micromobility devices. (image cbre.ae)

With environmental, equity and safety concerns top of mind, HUB Cycling supports the use of micromobility devices to advance the following agenda: 

  • Promotion of active and public forms of transportation. 
  • Reduction in the number of cars on the road, motor vehicle kilometers travelled (VKT), and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
  • Expansion of cycling-friendly infrastructure, by taking advantage of the growing appeal of micromobility.
  • Access to personal transportation for low-income and other vulnerable groups.

HUB Cycling supports that micromobility devices be allowed in cycle lanes and need not obtain a license or insurance to ride on the road as long as they have operating characteristics that are similar to conventional cycle characteristics, including average rider speed, device size, device weight, etc. to ensure they can be safely integrated into infrastructure designed for conventional cycles. 

 

Micromobility - Background Information

Definition

Micromobility: any assistive device that facilitates individual human transportation. Examples include powered wheelchairs, scooters, hoverboards, skateboards, conventional bicycles, electric bicycles, electric unicycles, etc. Micromobility can be human or electric-powered.

Context: 

  • New forms of micromobility are rising in popularity. Most forms of micromobility use infrastructure typically designed for cycles, e.g. bike lanes and bike paths. 
  • The BC electric kick scooter pilot project is currently underway. The legislation requires that these devices be used on designated lanes for cycling (where they exist) and prohibits their use on sidewalks. 
  • Personally owned micromobility devices are most common in BC, although there is a growing number of shared fleets, e.g. Mobi bike share and Lime e-scooter share. 
  • Recent experiences from other jurisdictions have demonstrated that certain forms of micromobility (especially shared fleets) present increased safety concerns and can detrimentally impact the public realm. 
  • HUB Cycling’s mission is to get more people cycling more often.

Benefits of Micromobility:

Micromobility has the potential to: 

  • Reduce the number of cars on the road, and therefore motor vehicle kilometers traveled (VKT)
  • Reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of overall vehicles on the road
  • Increase the use of active and public transportation
  • Spur the development of infrastructure designed to serve both bicycles and a growing range of other micromobility.
  • Provide access to personal transportation for low-income and other vulnerable groups.

 

Readiness for Shared Micromobility

A study by SFU’s Cities, Health and Active Transportation Research (CHATR) Lab, in partnership with HUB Cycling, finds people are generally optimistic about shared micromobility options for Metro Vancouver. 

Shared micromobility is a phrase used to describe a variety of shared, publicly available, human and electric-powered vehicles, including bike share (dockless and station-based), electric bicycles and electric scooters.

The study’s findings are in "Readiness for Shared Micromobility: Public Perceptions in Metro Vancouver”, a project funded by TransLink’s New Mobility Research Grant Program and Mitacs.

Updated: January 2023.